Separator



H. M. WADE.

SEPARATO'R.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I5| 1921.

PatentedJune 113, 1922.

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HMWmMe H. M. WADE.

SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 1921.

Patented. June 13, 1922.

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n. P scal SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June is, race.

Application filed August 15, 1921. Serial No. 192,391.

To all wit/1111 it may concern Be it known that 1, Hana; M. Name, a citizen of the United States, residing at Frederick, in the county of Tillman and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separators. of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to separators and more particularly to ore separators for separating gold ore from gravel. or sand and gravel and water. 7

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an improvement on the old type of sluice box which in operation lost large quantities of ore, and another object is to make the improved device portable so that it may be operated in any streams which are navigable to shallow draft boats.

Another object of the invention is the pro-- vision of an ore separator mounted directly upon a boat so that it may be operated in any streams where navigation is open to shallow draft boats so that the sand and gravel may be removed from the bed of the stream and after the ore is separated therefrom returned to the stream, whereby it is unnecessary to build sluice ways or remove large quantities of gravel and sand after separation.

Another and essential object of the inven" tion is to provide a separator in which the ore is acted upon by a body of water disposed above and below the treating surface and which acts to hold the sand and gravel in partial suspension until the heavier particles of metal have been removed therefrom by gravity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a separator of the sluice box type having means to produce a plurality of eddies in the stream of water passing through the box so as to retard and catch any particles of metal caried by the sand and gravel.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Figures 2 and 3 are detail longitudinal sections taken at opposite ends of the separator.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 represents a boat of any suitable type,

preferably built on the order of a scow, upon which. is mounted a suitable motor, generally indicated at 2, which is adapted to selectively drive the boat or a pump 3, the pur pose of which will be hereinafter indicated.

I have shown in this case one embodiment of the present invention in which a single sluice box 4: is shown, but I wish it clearly understood that two or more boxes may be njpunted upon the boat when found desira le.

Each box is mounted. a suitable height from the deck of the boat and supported upon uprights 5 and cross pieces 6, the uprights being braced. as shown. by the diagonal members 7. As shown in Figure 2 the box comprises a bottom 8, sides 9 and a top 10. and one end of the box i. e., the re ceiving end is closed by an end 11, the opposite end, the delivery end, being open to permit the discharge of the sand and gravel, as will be readily understood. Mounted within the box adjacent the receiving end is a relatively fine screen 12, and forming a continuation of this screen is a top separator screen 13 which, as shown, is provided with a plurality of transversely extending slots 14, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Located below this screen and separated therefrom and from each other, are two additional screens 15 and 16, both constructed in the same manner as the screen 13 but with the slots Ll therein staggered with relation to the slots in the adjacent screens.

Located below all of the screens and formed in the bottom 8 are funnel shaped members 17 having discharge valves 18 arranged in their lower ends beyond the valves with discharge spouts 19 adapted to dump the contents of the basin 17 into the receptacles 20 mounted upon a suitable platform 21 supported upon the uprights. These basins are adapted to produce eddies in the flowing stream of water which is fed through the box and to catch any separated particles of metal which. have passed through the slots in the screens. The contents of the receptacles 20 may be dumped into a receptacle of somewhat larger capacity supported on the deck and indicated at 22.

Extending across from side to side of the sluice box are a plurality of spaced bars 23, and swingingly attached to said bars are an equal number of flexible separator members 2 1, preferably constructed of oiled matting and having located upon their under side a series of cups 25 arranged to catch any line gold that is held in suspension in the Water. The ends of the members 24 which are at tachcd to the rods are above the surface of the water and their opposite ends are allowed to float with the cups slightly submerged.

The pump 3 is connected to a suitable suction hose 26 which sucks up the sand and gravel from the bottom 01' the stream and delivers it on to the screen 12 through the discharge hose 27. A second hose 28 is also connected to the pump and is arranged to deliver water tree tron'i sand and gravel to the box beneath the screen.

lVhen the ore bearing sand and gravel is discharged upon the screen 12, it is washed along over the streams 13, 15 and 16 and any particles of gold or other metal heavier than the sand and gravel will pass through the slots 14 and become lodged in the eddy pockets or basins from whence it may be discharged into the receptacles 20 by opening either of the valves 18.

Frequently in ore bearing sand there are found. nuggets of such size that they will. not pass through the slots and will be carried along with the sand'and gravel to the discharge end. In order to catch all such nugg'ets and large particles of ore, I provide at the discharge end a screen 29 having a curved upper end 30 and inwardly extending side pieces 31. This screen is adjustably connected at its lower end to a short upright 82 and has its upper end adjnstably connected to the uprights 5 by means of the cables 33 so that the screen may be properly positioned to catch all. large particles of ore or nuggets and to allow the majority of sand an d gravel to pass over the same. The screen being in the nature of a chute, I provide a receptacle 3 1 to receive such particles of ore and nuggets as may go by the screen.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. In a separator, an elongated box adapted to have water pass therethrough, a plurality of superimposed separated screens aranged throughout the major portion of the box, eddy forming basins secured. to the bottom of the box beneath said screens, ore catching members freely swinging in the box and floatable on the water passing there through, and pockets carried on the lower side of said ore catching members.

2. In a separator, an elongated box adapted to have water pass therethrough, a plurality of superimposed separated screens ranged throughout the major portion of the box, eddy forming basins in the bottom of the box beneath the screens, ore catching members pivoted at one end in the box, said members being freely swingable and being floatable on the Water passing through the box.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

HENRY M. iVADE. 

